Created by God is an introduction to pastoral care from a theological perspective. In it, Peggy Way seeks to show how the responsibility of care in Christian communities resides not just with professionals, but with all people.
As creatures of God, everyone is both a recipient and giver of care. To Way, the issues facing congregations today demand new thinking about definitions and practices of pastoral care, and new ways to connect the familiar practices of care with the cultural issues that are presently engulfing the broader community and the world. She argues toward a definition of pastoral care as bearing faithful witness to the joy of creation and the goodness of God.
In ten cogent and compassionate essays, Way introduces concepts of pastoral theology that will clarify the theological groundings for congregations not only to do care, but to be caring places. Each essay connects a practical theology of pastoral care with the ordinary world of congregations. Way has organized the essays of Created by God into three "movements": theological anthropology; identity and community; and hope and possibilities. The essays selected present a broad range of practices of pastoral care and invite conversation from the experiences of the participants. Each essay reflects on related caring practices, their theological groundings, historical and contemporary practices, the challenges presented to contemporary theological understandings, and the role of the many partners in caring processes.
Created by God invites new ways of thinking about care, as well as means of recognizing new resources, new perspectives, and new possibilities in responding faithfully, realistically, and creatively to the woes and gifts of the human creature.
